Best book that you HAD to read

[raskolnikov]

I know this bacause you have posted it in at least four threads about books. I know that because I thread-searched 'books' today to find some recommendations for books to read (as I felt like hiring a book from the library today), and it was me who bumped this ancient thread as a result.

Given your high praise for Crime and Punishment, I will try to read it over the summer (among a few others).

I notice you have what appears to be a huge interest in Russian writers. Did you move to Russia before or after this interest?

Crime and Punishment was the first Russian novel I read and was what made me interested in Russian literature. It was my interest in Russian literature that made me choose Moscow to work and live when I decided to go overseas teaching ESL.

 

[nicky]

It's an incredible book noddy. The best I've read - actually it's up there with a few others, including "Sweet Thursday" by Steinbeck. It's pure poetry.

 

[neng]

To Kill a Mockingbird is the obvious one, I thought it would be boring, but I ended up really enjoying it.

Fly Away Peter by David Malouf is an Australian book that we had to study which was also pretty interesting.

 

[blues4flag]

Pride and Prejudice, which might sound strange for a straight guy but it was one of the few school books I thoroughly enjoyed. Am an avid reader and have been since I was 7 but analysing books just sucked the joy out of them for me.

Other books I read:
The Great Gatsby - meh. 1920s midwest America is about as dull a setting as I can imagine.
1984 - hated it in school (couldn't sympathise with Smith at all - was probably too young at the time). As in, "worst book I've ever read" hated. Reread it a year or two ago and I didn't mind it.
Macbeth - much more my style but the old english proved to dense for me. Parts of it I found engrossing but on the whole the language barrier proved too big an obstacle.
A Doll's House - I like macaroons. Can't remember if they were the crispy coconut ones or the super sweet French macarons but. Nothing else about the book interests me.
No Gun for Asmir - going back a while but I recall enjoying it. I think.
A Passage to India - don't remember much about it but it was a bit trippy. Good read.
Things Fall Apart - brilliant book. A look at a different culture from the inside.

Edit: can't remember the name but a stupid book about a stupid girl with a stupid dog was the worst book I've ever had the misfortune of reading. Lightning something or other?

 

[magic_johnson!]

Dear America, a collection of letters home from American soldiers during the Vietnam war. Not one that you could read in a few hours, but really enjoyed studying it and hearing the roar emotions/motivations from the soliders.

Hated the crucible, even more so after watching the movie...

Really got into storm breaker back in year 8

1984 - hated it in school (couldn't sympathise with Smith at all - was probably too young at the time). As in, "worst book I've ever read" hated. Reread it a year or two ago and I didn't mind it.

Just wondering, why would you re read a book you had previously hated?

 

[blues4flag]

Just wondering, why would you re read a book you had previously hated?

Everyone parroting on about how good a book it was, I thought the issue was with me and not the book itself. Having never not finished a book I've read of my own volition, I decided to give it another chance and see if a marginally older, infinitisimally wiser b4f would appreciate it more. It was a more intense read than anything I'd read to that point (your average high school fare of Harry Potter, LOTR, etc).

Turns out I did enjoy it but all in all, just another book on the "have read" pile.

 

[Normy132]

The Kite Runner wins this thread. I read this book at least every two years. Amazing read. Pity the film was so disappointing.

 

[savagelunchbox]

Deadly Unna? - Year 9 English.

 

[lemmon]

Tim Wintons 'The Riders' was quite easily the worst, didnt get it at all. Might have to reread that one

 

[Truckosaurus]

Thinking back to books I read for English in lower high school, I loved reading Lord of the Flies in Year 10. Teacher only kept at it for a few weeks before we moved onto something else, but I'd already finished it after the first week I was so enraptured.

 

[Dagless]

To Kill a Mockingbird is the obvious one, I thought it would be boring, but I ended up really enjoying it.

Fly Away Peter by David Malouf is an Australian book that we had to study which was also pretty interesting.

Fly Away Peter was terrible.

1984/All Quiet On The Western Front were my stand outs.

In year 9 English Studies one of the texts we had to analyse was '8 Mile'
How much BS analysis can you draw from that? Although most English Studies teachers will let you draw as long a bow as you want if you can back it up with quotations.

 

[Tulip]

Hamlet will always stick with me I reckon, spoke to me about so much and I'm sure I'll read it again. Inspired me to buy 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' which I've not gotten around to reading yet.

To Kill a Mockingbird was also very good

A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove has to be up there with the worst books I've read

Animal Farm was clever, if not a bit weird. I need to get around to 1984.

 

[Dagless]

Richard the Third when it came to Shakespeare

 

[Tex_21]

I have a theory that Romeo & Juliet is Shakespeare's greatest piss-take. He's chilling out in heaven (or wherever) looking down and laughing his arse off at the reaction to it.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

1984 was easily the best book I had to read in high school. Such a depressing vision.

 

[Vitruvian]

'To Kill a Mockingbird', in Year 8 - One of the best novels I've ever read. Period.

'The Diary of a Young Girl' (aka 'The Diary of Anne Frank'), in Year 7.

'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn', in Year 7.

'Lord of the Flies', in Year 8 - Not bad.

'The Hobbit', in Grade 6.

If we are talking Shakespeare, then 'The Merchant of Venice' in Year 9 was my favourite.

 

[THRILLHO]

I have a theory that Romeo & Juliet is Shakespeare's greatest piss-take. He's chilling out in heaven (or wherever) looking down and laughing his arse off at the reaction to it.

Go on...



Just remembered the best book that I had to read. In first year uni one of my mates was at me for the entire year to read AB Facey's A Fortunate Life. He just wouldn't give up, kept leaving the book in my room and asking if I'd read it yet.

Finally ended up reading it while bored one night and just powered through it throughout the night.

Phenomenal book.

Cried at the ending.

Still tear up at the ending when I re-read it.

A beautiful book about an illiterate man born at the turn of the century who suffered horrible hardship written with absolute understatement, humour and humility.

 

[Tex_21]

Go on...

Admittedly not a well rounded theory, but how it is commonly dicussed as "the greatest love story ever told", when arguably it is a tale of two teenagers sneaking out to see each other/root, whose parents don't see eye to eye.

In comparison with some of his 'darker' works, chiefly MacBeth which is a great story, its a bit strange.

 

[Vitruvian]

1984 was easily the best book I had to read in high school. Such a depressing vision.

Phenomenal book!..... Never had to read it at school, but very much enjoyed this one as an adult.

I bet you would really enjoy 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley, if you haven't already read it.

 

[grizzlym]

In comparison with some of his 'darker' works, chiefly MacBeth which is a great story, its a bit strange.

King Lear is pretty monumental. I saw some epic productions of Shakespeare in the old Eastern Bloc countries when I was a kid.

 

[THRILLHO]

Admittedly not a well rounded theory, but how it is commonly dicussed as "the greatest love story ever told", when arguably it is a tale of two teenagers sneaking out to see each other/root, whose parents don't see eye to eye.

In comparison with some of his 'darker' works, chiefly MacBeth which is a great story, its a bit strange.

Two star-crossed lovers who are forbidden to be together but won't be kept apart is the basis for pretty much every love story ever told since.

Some off the top of my head:

Titanic: Kate and Jack (any movie set in the early 20th century will feature class restrictions in the love story)
Avatar: Wheelchair guy and blue alien
Shrek: Fiona and Shrek
Pocahontas: English guy and Pocahontas
Little Mermaid: Ariel and human guy
Holes: White teacher and black janitor (pretty much any movie or book where race is a prevalent theme. To Kill A Mockingbird touches on this trope with Tom Robinson)


For more, see: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StarCrossedLovers

 

[Cthublhu]

Pride and Prejudice, which might sound strange for a straight guy

Um, why?

 

[Vitruvian]

I forgot one other..... 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold', Year 10 - A bit depressing in the wash up, but the story is amazing and the writing (particularly the dialogue) by le Carré is just superb.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Phenomenal book!..... Never had to read it at school, but very much enjoyed this one as an adult.

I bet you would really enjoy 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley, if you haven't already read it.

I haven't yet read it, but it's near the top of my reading to-do list

 

[blues4flag]

Um, why?

From what I recall, I was the only male in the class to choose to write about it for our exam. Not sure what the wider opinion is, but it was essentially considered a chick flick in book form by my year level.